Machine for separating sheet metal.



A. KENT.

MACHINE FORSEPARATING SHEET METAL.

APPLIOATION FILED JULY 13, 1909.

Patented June 13,1911.

2 SHEETS-SHEBT 1.

A. KENT.

MACHINE FOR SEPARATING SHEET METAL.

APPLICATIONVYILEID JULY 13, 1909.

Patented June 13, 1911.-

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

\N. 4 \N WMEQV Y 5% & mRN @kmmw a. mM Q W fifiw W4 To all whom it may concern UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ABCHIBALD KENT, 'or nonoxnn; NEW JERSEY.

mAcHINE Fon SEPARATING SHEET METAL.

. l 3e it. known that I, ARCHIBALD KEN a citizen ofthe UnitedStates of America, and

a resident of Hoboken, Hudson county, New

Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Machines for Separating Sheet Metal, of which the following is a specification.

This-invention relates to a-mac hine for separating sheet metal and has particular reference to a machine for separating large sheets of tin and to carry the separated sheets to some other machine to be worked into a finished product as for instance tin cans.-.

The obj ectsof the invention are to provide a inachine for this purposeof simple, prac-' ticaland strong design, and adapted to be operated at a fairly. high rate of speed, fur

"ther to construct the machine in such a mannertha't it may readily be attachedto some Qthervmachine'in which the sheet metal-.is

to be worked upon and also to provide means for'adjustment for difi'erent sifies of sheets. L

e Other objects will appear as this specification' proceeds.

To this end the invention comprises such details of construction and arrangement of parts as is hereinafter set forth in detail while reference is had to the accompany 'ing drawings in whic side'elevat-ion of the machine. I ig. 3 is a on side frames as 10. A bracket 11 is bolted to the-underside of the bedplate and ex- Figurel is a front view of a machine embodying the invention and with parts re .moved for the sake of clearness. Fig. 2 is a plan view and l igs. 4, 5, 6, and 7 are .diagrammatic'views' illustrating the operation of the separating mechanism. I

The reference numeral 8 represents the bed plate 'of'the machine which is" provided with a rectangular opening 9 and supported tends across the machine. A hopper 12 is formed over the opening 9 by means of the side guides 13, 13 and the front guide 14 which'latter isadjustable by means of slot 15 and bolt 16. The side guides are each providedwith a foot 17 having slots 18 so that they'may' also be adjusted and fastened by bolts 19. This is all best seen in Fig. 3. The sheets of metal 20, in this instance tin sheets, are laid in the hopper 12 and rest by their full weight "on a (tentralxsupportfi' Specification of Letters'Patent. Application filed July 13,

1909. Serial no. 507,325.

ers in the form of cups 29. These latterare each carried in slides 30, one on each side of the machine, by means of the bent con-, nections 31. These connections communipurpose of adjustment stuffing boxes 33 are lnterposed between the connections and the slides. These latter are vertically movable are operated by a caln roll 35 coacting with the cam 36 on the main shaft 26. .The cam rolls are carried in forked links 65 pivoted to the slides 30 as shown and the construc tion is alike. for the two suckers on both sides of the machine. The main shaft is preferably journaled in bearings'as 37 and will be driven from'the machine to which the sheets are to be' fed by any suitable power transmitting means so as to drive the suit the operation of such other machine, which fit is not necessary to 1 show 'orde scribe in detail. On the opposite side of the machine is a-vacuum ump 38 which with the branched rigid pipes 40 .whichlatter connect with the ports 32 in the'slides 30.. n this'mannerthe suckers are in di"-' rect -ommunication with the pump and at the same time are movable vertically.

In'the foot of eachside guide there is piv loted on a short verticalshaft- 41 a sector 42 which lies under the said foot in a cut out in the bed plate as shown. At the top the 44 which slides in a way formed by the rack guide 45. As the rack is reciprocated the shaft 41 is rotated to swing the sector from the position shown in Fig. lfinwardly into the hopper underthe sheet next to the bottom one as will be presently explained. The bottom of the side guide is of course cut out far enough to permit the sector to pass.

Patented June 13, 191

tom sheet from the pile I employ twosuckcats with ports 32 in said slides and forthe in the gibs 34 bolted to the bracket l-l and separating machine at the proper speed to connects by means of flexible connection 3% shaft carries a gear 43'meshing with a rack 1 forked member 50 the free end of which is pivoted to a short arm 51 depending from 1 the shaft 47. The member 50 straddles a sprocket shaft 52 and carries a cam roll 53 running on the cam 54 faston said shaft. A spring 70 keeps the roll 53 on'the cam 54. The latter issupported in hangers 55 ofleachside of the machine and as it rotates the'member 50 is reciprocated which in turn through the arm 51, shaft 47, arms 48 and links 49 causes the racks to recipro cate to operate the gears 43. A similar sprocket shaft 56 is supported at the rear of the machine and both of said shafts carry sprocket wheels 57'over which passes a chain 58 having lugs 59 adapted to catch theseparated sheet and carry it out'from the machine. The shaft 52 is driven from the main shaft 26 by means of sprocket Wheels 60 and chain 61. The shaft 56 carries at the one end a crank 62 to which a link 63 is pivoted for dperating the pump 38.

Theop'eration is as follows, see Figs. 47 which illustrate the cycle of the machine. During the first of the' operation the sheets 20 rest with their entire weighton the support 21 and the suckers 29' are up and abut the bottom sheet and the sectors.

are swungoutward as in Fig. 4. Next the suction is applied to the suckers and these latter are moved down taking with them the edges of the bottom sheetas shownv in Fig. 5. In other words the suckers bend the sheet over the support 21. Next the sectors 42 are swung-inwardly above the bentv down edges of the bottom sheet as seen i in Fig. 6. Then the member 21 is moved down as in Fig. 7 and the entire weight of the pile of'sheets is now supported by the sectors. At the sametime the member 21 moves down the suction ceases to act and the sheet, now fully separated, is ready to be caughtby the lugs 59' on the chain 58 for the purpose of carrying it out from the separating mechanism. Next the support 21 is moved up to support the sheets again, the sectors are swung outward, and the cycle of the machine is completed and the mechanism is again ready to separate the bottom sheet.

i This construction isparticularly advan tagebus for separating large sheets of metal as the. suction is applied. On the other I because of the central support while the edge js ofthe sheet are bent down. Without this'lcentral support the large sheets will backhand. fall through the hopper as soon liahdthfctors are so large that even a single sheet cannot buckle and slide down between, and theyalso furnish ample support for a large pile of sheets. A further advantage resides in the fact that the sepa- -rated .sheet lies perfectly straight and loose on the support and thus can readily be removed to whatever other mechanism is going to act on it.

WVhen the size of the sheets varies it becomes necessary to adjust the separating mechanism to suit. Forthis purpose the side guides are moved inwardly to make the.

hopper smaller and the front guide is alsoadjusted to straighten the edges of the sheets. When the side guides are moved it follows that all the .elements'on' the shaft 47 must also be movedand adjusted to operatethe racks in theirnew positions nearer the center of the machine. This is easily accomplished by sliding the arms 48 and 51 along on their keys 64 on the said shaft and at the same time also adjusting the position of the cam.54 in a similar manner on the shaft 52. Collars as 66 maybe used to fix the variousarms, etc. in their respective places on the shafts. So it will be seen that when the guides are adjusted they carry with them the sectors and their operating mechanisms and of course each machine will be built to handle and take in certain sizes of the sheets.

The above is thought to fully disclose this invention and the operation thereof. The particular construction may of course be varied but I claim all such variations and changes as-come within the scope of the invention and the claims.

I claim:-

1. The combination of a vertically movable member for supporting a pile of sheets,

vertically movable members for separating the edges of the bottom sheet and rotatable members for supporting the sheets above the bottom one. 7

2. The combination of a central supporting member. means for causing the same to support a pile of sheets at given intervals,

rotatable supporting members and means for causing these latter to support the said' pile of sheets during the intervals in which thesame isnot supported by the said sup-- porting member.

3. The combination of a member for supporting a pile of sheets, guides for said sheets, other supporting means and mechanism for simultaneously adjusting the said other supporting means and the said guides.

4. A sheet separating device comprising a vertically movable central support, means for separating the edges of the bottom sheet, other supporting means and mechanism for alternately operating the said supporting means and central support to support the pile."" j

.5. A sheet separating device'comprising separate supporting mechanisms. for sup-;

porting a pile of sheets, a section device for separating the edges of the bottom sheet from the pile and means for actuating one of the said mechanisms to engage the sheets above the bottom one for the support of the for lowering said central support and suction means, and mechanism for supporting the pile of sheets at the edges thereof.

8. A sheet separating device comprising a central support a suction device for bending down the opposite edges of the bottom sheet, supporting devicesadapted to enter the pile above the bottom sheet-to support the sheets above and means for lowering said central support and suction device.

9. A. sheet separating device comprising separate supporting devices for alternately supporting a pile of sheets, suction means for disengaging the opposite edges of the bottom sheet, mechanism for actuatinglone of the said supporting devices while the suction means is in action and mechanism for actuating the other supiiiorting device afterthe suction means ceases to act.

10. A sheet separating device comprising a'vertically reci irocating member for supporting a pile of sheets, means for detaching a portion of the bottom sheet while the said member is at its highest position and means for supporting the said sheets while the said member is in motion.

11. A sheet separating device comprising suction means for disengaging a portion of the bottom sheet from the pile and periodically operated supporting means for supporting the pile of sheets before and after the action of the suction means and for supporting the detached bot-tom sheet.

12. A sheet separating device comprising suction means for disengaging a portion of the bottom sheet from the pile, a central supporting member below said pile, side supporting means adapted to support the sheets above the bottom one and mechanism for lowering the said central member and the suction means to separate the bottom sheet from the pile.

13. .Afsheet separating device cor. suction means, ('ft illil l Slipfjifit'tlilg ,ii mechanism for actuating all otsaid means for removing the bottom sheet frijim the pile and means for si'qpporting the sheets above the bottom one.

1 1. .r't sheet separating device com irising vertically. movable suction moans,movable central supporting means, nui-i-hanism for act'uatin all of the said means to engage the bottom s1 at of the pile at the same time and for lowering the sncti-tm means ahead'of. the supporting means and periodically operated devices for supporting the sheet above the bottom sheet.

15. A. sheet separaiii'ig device comprising movable members for alternately support ing a pile of sheets, mechanism for causing said members to move in two dilierent directions at an angle to one another and suction means for disei'igaging a portion of the bottom sheet and adapted to be operated in a direction parallel to the direction of operation of one of the said members and simultaneously therewith.

16. A sheet separating device comprising a central supporting member, means for moving the same to support a pile of sheets at given. lllliiBIVillS, a suction mechanism for separating the edges of the bottom sheet while the said member supports the same, means for moving said member away from the pile and side supporting means for supporting the pile of sheets-above the bottom one while the said member is being moved.

17. A sheet separating device comprising means for centrally supporting a pile of sheets, suction means for disengaging the opposite edges of the bottom sheet, means at the sides of the said pile for supporting the same and mechanism for adjusting the said side supporting means in a direction parallel to the plane of the sheets.

18. A. sheet separating device comprising means for centrally simporting a pile of sheets, means for guiding the edges of said sheets, a suction device for separating the opposite edges of the bottom sheet and oscillating members for supporting the said sheets above the bottom one.

Signed at New York, N. 1. this 10th day of July 1909.

A'RCHIBALD KENT. Witnesses:

IVAN Koniosn'nne, K. G. Ln Ann. 

